United States attacks Iranian 'military command centers and naval capabilities', Tehran responds by targeting 'American installations' in Kuwait and Bahrain

Published 21 July 2026, 00:27 GMT

Last updated 2 hours ago

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The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had completed a new round of strikes on Iran at 9:00 pm Eastern Time on July 20.

It added that US forces targeted Iranian military command centers, naval capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems, aiming to weaken Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The command said that the passage of commercial ships through the vital international sea lane continues, and that its forces have helped facilitate the passage of about 900 commercial ships and 450 million barrels of crude oil since the beginning of May.

It added that US forces remain on alert and ready to hold Iran accountable for what it described as an 'unjustified aggression' against civilian mariners seeking to transit the strait freely.

The CENTCOM statements coincided with an announcement in which the US State Department said it had issued a security warning to its nationals around the world due to 'rising tensions in the Middle East'.

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The strikes - for the tenth consecutive night - followed US President Donald Trump's pledge to punish Iran for the killing of US soldiers, saying it would pay a 'big price'.

In turn, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers caught fire after explosions while trying to cross the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz.

It also said it targeted the US 'Patriot' air defense system in the Rifa and Muharraq areas of Bahrain with a missile and drone attack, and targeted an 'MQ-9' drone hangar at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

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The Revolutionary Guard also said it targeted American radar, communications, and satellite installations in Kuwait with missile and drone attacks, after it had previously targeted, according to a statement, 'HIMARS missile systems belonging to the terrorist US army stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait'.

Iran confirmed that it is in a 'comprehensive war' with the United States and continued targeting Gulf states and Jordan, claiming responsibility for attacking two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to a statement from the presidency, 'The truth is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in a comprehensive war', adding, 'We must be realistic and accept the natural consequences of this resistance'.

A person was killed and others were injured on Monday in US strikes on Tabriz in northwestern Iran, more than a thousand kilometers from the Gulf, according to local officials, and others were injured in strikes targeting the city of Urmia in the neighboring province.

Fars news agency reported that residents in the southern city of Shiraz heard explosions, citing preliminary reports that they were airstrikes.

Meanwhile, two US soldiers were killed on Friday in Iranian strikes targeting a military base in Jordan, and remains believed to belong to a third missing soldier were found at the site, according to CENTCOM.

On Saturday, another soldier died while defusing unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone that was shot down in northern Iraq, bringing the number of US military deaths since the war began on February 28 to 17.

The fighting overthrew the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17, which stipulated the start of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file and other issues with the aim of putting a final end to the war.

Jordan shoots down missiles

In response to the escalation, Tehran bombed Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, allies of the United States.

In Bahrain, Iranian drones targeted civilian air navigation systems on Monday, according to authorities who had earlier announced the interception of aerial attacks.

The Kuwaiti army also announced that it repelled a new attack by Iranian drones.

On Monday evening, the Jordanian army reported that its air defenses shot down three missiles originating from Iran that were targeting the kingdom, without any injuries or material damage.

The Revolutionary Guard said on Sunday that it destroyed American planes in Aqaba, Jordan, and attacked American military infrastructure in Al-Tanf, Syria.

At the same time, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei announced that diplomatic contacts continue with the United States.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrived in Pakistan on Monday, one of the mediating countries along with Qatar and Oman.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran has received a proposal from mediators for a ten-day ceasefire, as part of efforts to salvage the interim agreement, which is supposed to pave the way for a permanent agreement to end the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry or the official who spoke to Reuters did not provide any details about the supposed discussions regarding the ceasefire.

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Unsafe path in Hormuz

Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic corridor for global trade, as the Revolutionary Guard announced on Monday that it had stopped two oil tankers that were trying to cross the strait, according to local media.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday night that it had received several reports that a tanker had declared, via VHF channel 16, that it had been hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.

The agency added that the incident occurred eight nautical miles northeast of the Omani area of Lima, and that authorities are investigating.

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Earlier Monday, the agency said two ships were hit in the Gulf, one off the coast of Oman and another off the UAE.

Baghaei confirmed on Monday that his country will not allow the use of the Strait of Hormuz to threaten its security.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called on the international community on Sunday to stand by the United States to 'protect maritime navigation' in the Strait of Hormuz.